Wichita eagle., 1887-04-16
9ail9R eagle
JUDGE LYNCH.


officially nearly all the judges of the state and
Of the federal courts, l had never made the
acquaintance of that perambllating tribunal
presided over by Justice Lynch until / went
to reside for few months in a neighboring
state, where rumor has it that Judge Lynch
made his debut.
The meeting came about this way. There
had been a long and expensive judicial season
at x; and Mallory jock, the criminal law
yer, had saved another victim from the
sword of justice The name of the sinner
who was snatched from the hands Of the
hangman was Black Bill. Bill was exceed
ingly handy with his pistol and on this occa-
sion had shot and killed the conductor of
street car because he persisted in trying to
collect the car fare. As both lawyer and eli
emit were notorious, the trial brought the
whole population to the court house to wit
ness the illegal contest, and, as usual, the bar
came out victorious Bill had mistaken the
conductors ticket punch for pistol, the Off
eial for a robber, and had shot the latter in
self-defense; besides forcing the judge to
charge that if the defendant really mistook
the bell punch for pistol, pointed in q men,
acing and dangerous manner, they were
bound, in fact, to treat it as though it was O
veritable revolver, with 3S-caliber shot in it.
and not an innocent recording bell punch
Of course Bill was acquitted, and be walked
down Main street, the admired center Of all
gazers. This was the farce. The tragedy
came about in this way
As may be anticipated, Bill was very much
elated over his escape, especially as it hap
pened to be his third trial for murder and he
was rather superstitiouS about the figure
three. He celebrated it in roaring spree,
which lasted a week and kept that part of the
town in an uproar. There was drinking, sing
ing and fighting in harmonious and constant
succession, though Bill was going to intro
duce the famous Bacchic revels and life was
to be an orgy of drinking and fisticuff. 1t
was about the third day of the feast when the
barkeeper, in a thoughtful moment. demanded
payment of the score, in default Of which he
proposed to tumble the gang" into the
street.
Bill, whose life had just been saved at an
expense to the state of a thousand dollars,
was aturally indignant and in the absence
# hi, pistol he knocked the thoughtful bar
keeper down with a beer glass. Then the
commenced between the proprietor and
his men and Bill and the gang" and the
battle ragged and surged from the bar room
to the kitchen, and from the kitchen to the
street, each new conner lending a hand or
stone. Finally the town marshal came rush.
ing into the crowd, and knocked the Draw
lers with his club right and left and unfor-
tunately Bill among the rest. The latter
sneaked quietly across the street. came
back with shotgun, poured the contents Of
both barrels into the back of the fighting
marshal and killed him on the spot. This
was the climax The brawl ceased as sudden
ly as it had arisen-the fighters SUNK back
from Bill in disgust, and even he turned his
bloodshot eyes anXiously down at the now
quiet marshal. Then he placed the gun in
corner, and some one whispered Cit" and
he walked out into the street and after a mo-
ment's pause skunk rapidly away under the
shadows of the houses and the trees.
He had not walked dozen squares before
he perceived that there was something the
matter with either the people or the town.
Men ran ahead of him, Others followed and
logged his footsteps, and doors were banged
Is he passed. Harkl the fire bell was ring
ing, and the whistle Of the ferryboat awoke
the echoes on the river The stream of lights
In the distance not made up of fire flies,
but Of men and boys carrying lanterns, and
armed with clubs ard shotguns. He tried
several doors on the way, well known places
Of refuge, but they were closed, and no CLINT
of light from the windows.
Then came the tramp, tramp of marching
men, and in dartirg around the corner he
found himself instantly surrounded with a
mob who ordered him brutally to stand and
hold up his hands, Bill smiled as he recog-
nized the voice, and lazily complied with the
order: then he scanned the crowd eagerly
but they were masked, and the only plain,
unmistakable thing was the revolver, which
cleaned at him from all directions. The
leader, in his red shirt, slouched hat, panta-
looms stuffed in his boots, and under his arm
q long, black barreled rifle stood eying him
in silence.
"Hello, Long JIM" said Bill, animated
with sudden CLEAN of hope, you'll give a
fellow chance for his life, won't you, Jim9"
"What!" replied the leader, contemptuous-
". 81 don't know yer This amt no rabbit
hunting party-this is Judge Lynchl There
has been killing enough in this town-there'l
be another, and then the thing viii stop.
Fold your arms-right about face, march,"
Yes, this was Judge Lynch-court, jury and
executioner, all in one.
When the itinerant court passed my door
heard the alarm bell. was searching the hori-
zon for the sign of fire, which nowhere could
be seen The moon was out, and but for the
flying procession Of clouds that continually
scudded in front, the town of X was fairly lit
up with the white, silent light. | was still
wondering if the clouds meant rain or snow,
when the odd and fantastic judicial process
sion marched silently by. No funeral party
was graver. made less noise or marched with
more decorum. There was only one excep-
ton to the general good behavior, and that
was the impression of the bystanders Every
locker on WAS Immediately "pressed" into the
crowd Not one was allowed to look and de-
part, but he was forced to assist in the cere-
mony was in the doorway when fellow,
hideously draped and disguised, laid hold
upon me- and pointing with his revolver to
the mob, told me to fall in"
aWhy, certainly and / marched with the
rest.
As there was very little talking there was
abundant opportunity for reflection, and Yet
probably the only one who was doing any
systematic thinking was the victim Bill, as lie
turned his head from right to left, vainly
searching for some sign of succor.
For myself | no sooner guessed the object
or rather purpose-of the judicial train
than nv curiosity OVERRIDE and sllenced all
legal scruples TO the enterprise. Besides,
consoled myself with the thought that as all
our great iurists and statesmen had found no
higher source Of authority than the people,
and that everything came from and was for
the benefit of the people, surely an inpromptu
tribunal of the people like Judge Lynch was
IN,